'BJP isn't stopped by Trinamool in Delhi, Cong does it': Himachal CM Sukhu's jibe before Bengal polls

Kolkata, April 18 Ahead of the two-phased Assembly election on April 23 and 29 in West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu took potshots at the ruling Trinamool Congress government. "West Bengal's Trinamool Congress doesn't go to Delhi to stop the BJP," he quipped. Moreover, the Himachal CM emphasised that it is the Congress that will continue to remain the "main opposition party".

During an interaction with IANS, CM Sukhu came in support of Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's criticism that the BJP and the Trinamool are "opposite sides of the same coin".

He said, "Rahul Gandhi ji has rightly said that there are two sides of the same coin because they only fight in one state."

However, he said, "In Delhi, if there is someone who tries to stop the BJP, then it is Rahul Gandhi ji. The Congress stops the Bharatiya Janata Party. West Bengal's Trinamool Congress doesn't go there to stop, right?"

Appealing to people to vote for the Congress, Sukhu said, "This time the people of West Bengal need to stop them and support the Congress' candidates."

The Himachal CM underlined the fact that the grand old party has fielded candidates from all the 294 seats in West Bengal. He said that it has happened "for the first time in 20 years".

"Congress has not been here (in Bengal) for the last 50 years. This time it is a speciality that the candidates following the party's ideology are contesting from all 294 seats."

He further added, "The Congress is the main opposition party at the Centre. The people of Bengal have to decide to vote for the Congress, which has been contesting against the Bharatiya Janata Party across the country."

On the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in the state, he said, "SIR should not have been conducted here just before the elections."

On Trinamool and BJP's war of words over consumption of non-vegetarian food in Bengal, CM Sukhu stated, "No one has a special privilege over what to eat because we live in an independent and democratic country."

He observed that such issues are "created during elections for political benefits".

"This is not right," Sukhu added.

He stressed that focus should instead be on employment opportunities, development in the state, etc.

Moreover, he asserted that the Congress is the largest party and "will continue to remain the main Opposition party even in the future".

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